Amazon bracelet monitoring staff lax, this approach is appropriate?

via:博客园 time:2018/2/14 13:03:06 readed:182

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Judging from the history of the development of human civilization, the pursuit of freedom, democracy and fairness have always remained the same. In particular, respecting the basic rights everyone should have has become the consensus reached globally. However, in actual life, it seems that there are always things that are breaking the bottom line of "being a human being." How would you feel if your employer had you put on your wristband to track your every move and even warned you when it was judged that you were doing something wrong?

Just recently, the relevant bracelet patent that Amazon applied for was approved. As early as the 2015 New York Times uncovered the Amazon's uninspiring work culture, Amazon criticized. However, external criticism did not allow Amazon to converge, but intensified. Even from the larger environment, more and more enterprises want to adopt the same approach.

Amazon is building dystopian warehouses around the world

The latest patent documents show that Amazon acquired two patents tracking bracelet. According to the patent, this hand-worn bracelet radiates ultrasonic pulses and radio transmissions, and the system's sensors triangulate the signals of the bracelet to determine the location of the employee. In the meantime, the software matches the employee's location with inventory items that should be processed. In addition to picking up the signal, the system can also send back a signal that provides tactile feedback to guide employees to the right boxes.

This also means that Amazon is trying to build dystopian warehouses around the world. Although it is still not clear whether Amazon plans to turn patents into real products and forces employees to wear it, Amazon's practice has actually challenged its development.

Current and former Amazon employees said Amazon has used a similar tracking technology in its warehouse. And they said they would not be surprised if these patents were put into practice. It appears that Amazon's tough practices and employee "crush" have become something that everyone knows.

Privacy concerns about the new scene being triggered

The goal of Amazon Bracelet patents is to streamline "time-consuming" tasks such as responding to orders and packaging them for quick delivery. In other words, employees can complete orders faster with the bracelet. For a giant eCommerce platform, the speed of shipping, organizing, and delivering goods means "life." A glance, Amazon everywhere with its polar to enhance employee productivity is understandable. But critics say such bracelets will raise privacy concerns. While adding new "monitors" to the workplace, these devices may also make employees more robot-like.

Former former Amazon warehouse worker Max Crawford said in a telephone interview: "After a year at Amazon, I feel like I've become a robot. "He mentioned that hundreds of items were to be handled within an hour of working in an Amazon warehouse. "No time to go to the toilet," he said. "You have to deal with these items in seconds and move on. If you did not reach your goal, you were fired. & rdquo;

Crawford believes that once the bracelet patents become products and employees to use, it may save some time and labor. But he said the bracelet's tracking was "stalker" & rdquo ;. He fears that if Amazon discovers employees' hands "at the wrong time in the wrong place," employees may be subject to unfair scrutiny. In the end, Crawford said, "Amazon wants to turn people into machines. Robot technology has not come yet, so Amazon will use "human robots" now. & rdquo;

In fact, any wearable device can collect the personal information of a large number of employees, even unconsciously. They can gather information about every move of employees, such as when to go to the bathroom, when to slow down during the day, how often to stop and wait. This also means that wearable devices trigger privacy concerns in new scenarios.

Worry: More and more companies use artificial intelligence to monitor their whereabouts

What is worrisome is that not just hard-line Amazon is doing so, but more and more companies are already introducing artificial intelligence to the workplace. They all appear in the name of improving productivity and work efficiency, but they are often used to monitor the whereabouts of employees. For example, a London business is developing an artificial intelligence system to flag unusual workplace behavior, while another uses messaging applications to track employees.

Even the Three Square Market in the United States is preparing to implant microchips into their skin, claiming they can replace employee identification cards, pass safety gates and buy food. Although more than 50 employees agreed to accept microchip implantation, the concept is controversial.

In any case, once the whereabouts and privacy are controlled by others, always make people feel insecure. The concept of chasing profits is understandable, but not based on making "naked" employees.